Tuesday, September 2, 2014

No Culture Is Pure: We are all Borrowers, and Stealers.

No culture is pure, whether one is living in the high culture
or low culture. We are all borrowers, stealers of each other’s images to enhance our own.
Look at the Anyuawa language today, compare it to Anyuawa language of 30 or 40
years ago one would be astonished to see that the Anyuawa language has been
diluted,infused, mixed with a lot foreign
words twisted and adopted to fit, spoken like the Anyuawa words. True, I am not exaggerating. I am not kidding.

If you were new to
what I am talking about check with the lyrics of the contemporary urban Anyuwa
dance songs; my friend be my guest. My friends you would be amazed, sometimes confused by some word
thrown at you by the singer singing in the Anyuwa language, with blended Arabic, Amharic, Oromo, Nuer Tigrignya
words twisted, punctured, fractured, reassembled, sang as Anyuawa words,
and with lovely tunes. But as has been said all cultures have been borrowed, stolen since the time of immemorial, they were for good; for treatments of one another. I came to realized that everything we see here in the west as in the form of arts are stolen third world indigenous cultural properties, god know how they ended up in the west, resold in the form western arts images, designs. No wonder we had many anthropologists, sociologists, religious missionaries in our midst camouflaged as innocent they can be, they have been extracting indigenous livings since day one they had contacted the third world people. In my book indigenous arts were stolen, copycatted for consumptions, for use of commercial in the western world. I came to think that we have nothing left unearth, from the people of the third world global sphere. Third world cultures has been hijacked specially by high
tech culture societies.Have been to the
mall lately? Be my guest, worry not by what you see.

Well you would be surprised by the displays of various forms
clothing, third world types jewelers, lather bags deigned that look like they were from your neck of the
wood. I recently ordered Timbuktu messenger bag, the exact replica one would find somewhere in the Malian countryside worn by the indigenous people of that areas. Now there is a company called "Timbuktu" designing these sorts bags in the USA based California. What about the hair does, with many of them resembling indigenous African styles sometimes.
Of course as I said in the above paragraphs, I think one see these kinds blossoming arts anywhere in the western world, they were various cultures, stolen indigenous cultural properties, without doubt owned by commercial world,
commercialized, monopolized with tight grip, resoled marketed by multinational corporations abroad to the people who originally own those items of arts. One wonders
not really about what’s going. But one can regrets but must accept the objective reality very much so even though with disappointment about the whole
saga.

But cultural life styles also can be borrowed adopted willingly for good things to
happened, cement the social ties: be it wedding anniversary, or newlywed party,
or valentine days celebrations, dating or courting women, or the celebration of
the valentine days to enhance or improve our connections, accommodate and bow
to each other for the continuation of a healthy marriages, which I fined as imperative, also
important; as ingredient for social cohesion.

These couples here renewed their ten years anniversary with diamond rings.If one tells me 30
years ago that such, such persons were going rekindle their 5th or
ten years next week, that I should come, celebrate happy -happy time with
them.I would had told them
are you out of your minds what kind of nonsense is that? I would had told them straight, look I am an Anyuawa, according to my culture
I can marry as much women as I can, so which woman should I pick among many I
am going to marry,celebrate her love
wedding anniversary with me. The answer would had been none.

But things have changed for the better for many diasporas Anyuawa here in the
USA. Just about three weeks ago, in mass many of them celebrated in
spectacular, colorfully, with extravaganza 10years wedding anniversary. It has been funfair for the participants, a talk of the towns for the Anyuawa community in the US. I wasn’t
there due my sickness but I am told by the architects of the party in charge that
it was remarkably celebrated with a lot of festive food, drinks, followed by
traditional Anyuawa cultural items displays, shows, and dance, and singings.

Wedding anniversary celebrated with extravaganza

Boy; I wish I was there but I still enjoy the news of peaceful party with the end results: unity,
togetherness, harmony and peace. As long we are still living in America there are
good things to be borrowed from the multicultural society; such as wedding anniversary, valentine day etc.. We must
acculturate our self with the new phenomena, but cautiously. Nonetheless; there are also bad
things we should be aware not borrow at all. We should be
rejecting them as we live without hesitations without compromising our culture.